Traditional ground based route planning systems and/or methods, such as MapQuest™, generally seek to provide the shortest path or fastest between two points. In doing so, such systems rely largely upon the posted speed limits for the roads connecting the two points and assume the driver will approximate the posted speed limits while traversing the path. However, this assumption is a misnomer. Namely, when approaching a turn or a curved road, one generally needs to slow down, such that even though the posted speed limit for a road might read 50 MPH, the user can only safely travel at 20 MPH. As a corollary, after one has slowed down and traversed the turn or the curve, one still needs to reaccelerate to the speed limit, which takes additional time. Accordingly, failure to take into account the curvature of a road can lead to an inaccurate approximation of the time required to traverse a path, whereby it would be advantageous to have a system and/or method that factors the curvature of a path into the estimated time for traversal of the path. It should also be mentioned that another factor that will affect assumption of posted speed limits is the existence of stop signs and stop lights which can impose either speed constraints or expected speed constraints.
Some ground based route planning systems and/or methods refine estimated traversal times along a path using recorded data from professional drivers. However, such refinements are specific to driver preferences and dependent upon traffic conditions. Further, such refinements are labor intensive and expensive in that they require a driver to traverse every road along a path. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a system and/or method that is agnostic to driver preferences and specific traffic conditions, and does not require a driver to traverse all roads that may be used for a path.
Notwithstanding the speed of traversal, traditional ground based route planning systems and/or methods generally fail to take into account considerations pertaining to the comfort level a user of a ground based route planning system will experience while traversing a path. Instead, such systems focus on the shortest or fastest path between two points. However, it seems axiomatic that many users would be willing to trade a few minutes of additional travel time, or a few extra miles of travel, for an increased comfort and safety level while traversing a path. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a ground based route planning system and/or method that takes into consideration the comfort level and safety a user will experience while traversing a path.
While some ground based route planning systems may take into account driver comfort by virtue of encouraging the use of highways, they fail to take into account one particular consideration directly affecting the comfort level of a user while traversing a path: the curvature of the path. Namely, a NASA study found that the risk of car sickness is increased by acceleration at particular frequencies. Generally, these frequencies fall around the 0.2 hertz mark. As the curvature variation of a road directly effects the acceleration of a vehicle, both cross track and along track, the curvature of a road may have an effect on the comfort level of an individual. Additionally, curvy roads present more of a driving challenge because of the increased alertness required to traverse such roads, whereby the curvature of a road may affect the comfort level of an individual in spite of motion sickness. On the flip side, some individuals might find curvy roads more comfortable than straight roads due to increased driver awareness and enjoyment from traversing curvy roads. Therefore, for at least the foregoing reasons, the curvature of a road has an effect on the comfort level of a user, whereby it would be advantageous to have a system and/or method that considers the curvature of roads while determining a path and/or notifies the user of any potential discomfort that might occur.
The present application contemplates a new and improved system and/or method which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others